Sunday hunting article

[WhiteFeather]

Look at the extra money it would generate IF the state added a sunday hunting, I know sunday would almost double my hunting time.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_547221.html

Sportsmen looking to add seventh day
By Bob Frye
TRIBUNE-REVIEW OUTDOORS EDITOR
Sunday, January 13, 2008


Joe Zuzich admits to being "kind of bit by the bug."
Forty-six years old, he started hunting when he was 12. Since then, he's traveled West to hunt elk and mule deer, to Newfoundland to hunt moose and into the woods for Opening Day of Pennsylvania's own white-tailed deer season 34 of the last 35 years.

Now, though, with his 7-year-old son Joe expressing an interest in hunting, he's worried.

The pace of society has accelerated. People are working longer hours and more days. Organized sports, video games and other attractions are competing for children's time.


And yet, Pennsylvania's ban on hunting on Sundays -- which dates to 1873 -- remains in place, limiting opportunities for working sportsmen to take the next generation of kids afield. That's got to change if hunting is to survive, Zuzich said.
"Any step toward legalizing Sunday hunting would be a step in the right direction, in my opinion. It's kind of like we're a couple of years behind the rest of the country," said Zuzich, a Level Green resident and president of the Sportsmen's Association of Greensburg.

A couple of national organizations agree and plan to do something about it.

The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance and the National Shooting Sports Foundation are organizing a grassroots informational campaign aimed at legalizing Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania. It's expected to launch during the first quarter of 2008.

The reason for the push is simple: hunters, while still a vital part of the economy, are declining in number as the baby boomers leave the ranks. A survey found that for every 100 hunters lost nationally, only 69 new ones are taking their place. In Pennsylvania -- one of the nation's strongest hunting states but also one of its oldest -- just 62 hunters are being recruited for every 100 who leave.

One of the main reasons hunters cite for packing away their guns is a lack of time to get in the woods, said Chris Dolnack, senior vice president of the Shooting Sports Foundation. That's where Sundays come in.

"If we're going to get more interest in hunting and increase participation, we've got to remove barriers and increase opportunities. And probably the single greatest opportunity we have to expand hunting for this generation is Sunday hunting," Dolnack said.

Adding it to the menu may be tough, however.

Pennsylvania's ban on Sunday hunting is a remnant of the state's "blue laws," which once made it illegal to buy groceries, get gas, go to the movies or even fish on Sundays. Today, it remains one of the most restrictive bans of its kind in the nation.

Forty-one of the 50 states allow hunting on Sundays for all species year round. All of the so-called "big eight" hunting states -- those that sell 500,000 or more hunting licenses annually -- fall into that group except Pennsylvania. Here, hunters can chase coyotes, foxes and crows on Sundays, but everything else is off limits.

Yet, previous efforts to bring Pennsylvania into line with most of the rest of the country have failed. As recently as 2005, a Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee study found that 50 percent of state residents supported the idea of legalizing hunting on Sundays. Forty-five percent were opposed, with 5 percent undecided.

Yet, the minority -- led by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau -- beat back attempts to change the law.

There are a number of reasons why farmers feel as they do, said Dwight Sarver, president of the Bureau's Westmoreland County chapter. Most, though, simply want a day free from worrying about hunters shooting on their land.

"They just feel it might be good to have that one day that's silent," Sarver said.

Opposition to Sunday hunting has come from other quarters, too.

Some have cited religious objections, though, locally, neither the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh nor the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, the public affairs arm for the 10 dioceses in the state, have Sunday hunting "on our radar," said spokeswoman Amy Beisel.

Trinity Lutheran Church in Butler has never discussed the issue either, said senior pastor Tom Pierotti, a hunter himself. Personally, he doesn't favor Sunday hunting, but he doesn't fear it either.

"I'm not going to get too excited about it one way or the other. I think people will still go to church if it's important to them," Pierotti said.

Hikers, horseback riders, birders and others who share the woods with hunters six days a week have also spoken out against giving up their exclusive right to Sundays. Their concern is primarily safety, said Dave Mottorn of Murrysville, an avid hiker from the Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club.

But -- given that many of the Allegheny Group's hikes run across state game lands that were bought and paid for by hunters -- he could compromise, he said.

"The fact is, hunters pay the bills," he said. "You don't have to buy a hiking license in Pennsylvania, but you do have to buy a hunting license. So, while I'd rather not deal with the danger, I guess we could coexist with hunters."

The most damning opposition to Sunday hunting, then, has come from some sportsmen themselves. For every Joe Zuzich who wants it legalized, there's a Frank Gray who doesn't.

Gray, a 67-year-old resident of Allegheny Township and president of the Vandergrift Sportsmen's Association, believes that hunting "is dying a slow death." Yet, he worries that any move to allow Sunday hunting will push farmers to post their land while robbing wildlife of a day of rest.

He's not sure that Sunday hunting will convince kids to leave their other activities and rush for the woods either.

"The kids can't be everywhere is, I guess, what I'm trying to say," Gray said. "I don't think you'd get a whole lot more by adding Sundays."

Those feelings remain common among a lot of hunters, said Melody Zullinger, executive director of the 100,000 member Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs. That's changing a little: once ardently anti-Sunday hunting, the Federation's membership is now split almost evenly on the issue. But without a clear majority clamoring for Sunday hunting, it's easy to see why lawmakers haven't acted.

"They just don't want to take the heat by backing it if it's not obvious people want it," Zullinger said.

[B]State Rep. Ed Staback, the Lackawanna County Democrat who chairs the House Game and Fisheries Committee, agreed. He's the author of a bill that would give the Pennsylvania Game Commission the authority to include Sundays in its hunting seasons.

But he has no plans to push it or any other Sunday hunting legislation until he's "reasonably sure" sportsmen have convinced his fellow lawmakers that the time is right, he said.

"If the hunters in the commonwealth do not get behind the concept, and move it forward, it's just not going to happen," Staback said.

Some sportsmen are already mobilizing. The state chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation has always supported Sunday hunting as a recruitment and retention tool and is preparing to get behind this effort, said president Gene Alwine of Davidsville in Somerset County.

Hopefully, more sportsmen will see how crucial Sunday's are to perpetuating hunting's traditions and come around, said Rob Sexton, vice president for government affairs for the Sportsmen's Alliance.

"Unless we can get good support from within our own community, we don't even need to worry about state lawmakers or non-hunters of anyone else," Sexton said.

"If this is going to have a chance of getting done, we're going to have to appeal to those people who care about hunting's future."

It's not just a Pennsylvania thing

Pennsylvania is far from unique in looking at Sunday hunting.

Within the last half dozen years, a number of states -- including Ohio, New York and Michigan -- have approved hunting on Sundays year round. West Virginia approved Sunday hunting on private lands; Maryland approved it in certain counties during the firearms and archery deer seasons.

In Maryland, things have gone well. Sunday hunting is gaining public acceptance while allowing hunters to take an additional 2,500 to 3,000 deer annually, said Brian Eyler, deer project leader for the Department of Natural Resources.

"I mean, that may not sound like much, but in some counties, that's 5 percent of the harvest, so it can be a pretty substantial number really," Eyler said.

In Ohio, though, there's also been unhappiness. The Ohio Farm Bureau -- long the state's staunchest opponent of Sunday hunting -- backed off that stance in return for two promises from the Ohio Division of Wildlife: to reduce deer numbers and to step up enforcement of trespassing laws.

Six years later, most farmers aren't satisfied with the trade, said Larry Gearhardt, director of local affairs for the Farm Bureau.

"My personal opinion is that we did not get what we bargained for," he said. "I can understand the logic behind Sunday hunting, but in hindsight we should have demanded some specific percentage reduction in the size of the deer herd in return for our support."

North Carolina's Wildlife Resources Commission, meanwhile, considered pushing for a repeal of that state's ban on Sunday hunting just last year. When surveys showed that a majority of hunters and the general population didn't support it, though, the idea was dropped, said Dain Palmer, a human dimensions biologist for the North Carolina WRC.

"In our minds, we could adjust hunting seasons to accommodate Sundays, but it's a question of whether people want it," Palmer said.


By the numbers/digits:

• $626,646,755: The net boost to the state economy, in dollars, if Pennsylvania would allow Sunday hunting in all seasons year-round.

• 1,006,293: Number of hunting licenses sold in Pennsylvania in 2005. That ranked the state second in the country, behind only Texas (1,039,709) and in front of third-ranked Michigan (789,244).

• 5,306: Number of jobs that would be created in Pennsylvania if unlimited Sunday hunting were legalized.

• 18: Percentage of landowners responding to a survey who said they would post their property against all hunting if Sundays were added to the seasons.

• 7: Additional number of days the typical sportsmen would hunt in Pennsylvania if Sunday hunting were legalized year round.

Sources: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee.

[JIMMYC308]

Man if they change that no hunting on Sunday law my wife is never going to see me!

[CoyoteJack]

Man if they change that no hunting on Sunday law my wife is never going to see me!

+1

Have to say my vote on this would likely be cancelled out by my wife.

[daschnoz]

Gray, a 67-year-old resident of Allegheny Township and president of the Vandergrift Sportsmen's Association, believes that hunting "is dying a slow death." Yet, he worries that any move to allow Sunday hunting will push farmers to post their land while robbing wildlife of a day of rest.

He's not sure that Sunday hunting will convince kids to leave their other activities and rush for the woods either.

"The kids can't be everywhere is, I guess, what I'm trying to say," Gray said. "I don't think you'd get a whole lot more by adding Sundays."



I disagree. The world that this dude grew up in is long gone. For some people, taking a day off during the week isn't an option. That leaves Saturday. If you're one of the really unlucky people that work on Saturday, Sunday is your only option.

The same people that are concerned about the lack of hunting interest among the younger generations are the same people that hold the line in opposition to Sunday hunting. Well, since dad isn't retired and doesn't collect a fat pension check, dad has to go to work 6 days a week. When is dad supposed to take little Tommy out to "show him the ropes" either at the shooting range or in the woods? Sunday seems like a good day - it's the only day that dad has off. Oh wait, we can't hunt on Sunday. Sorry Tommy, here's a copy of "Deer Hunter" for your Nintendo Wii.

In the 1960's, Vatican I was replaced by an updated set of rules - Vatican II. Why are we in Pennsylvania still being forced to live under an archaic set of rules for everything from tobacco and liquor to hunting? Get with the real world folks.


Don't even get me started on the idea of a day of rest for the animals.....

[Swarner793]

I get one day off a week...yep, you guessed it, Sunday. When I take my children hunting, I have to take the day off from working. Sunday hunting would be perfect!

Be safe.

Scott

[noncritical]

I love hunting just as much as anybody else but i am not for it The deer heard population is about wiped out now just think of more road hunters and out of staters .If i was to support it it would have to be for pa residents only sunday hunting. I think this is all about selfishness and greed and no one is thinking of the deer population and overtime the pgc boys are going to be making its all about the money

[WhiteFeather]

I love hunting just as much as anybody else but i am not for it The deer heard population is about wiped out now just think of more road hunters and out of staters .If i was to support it it would have to be for pa residents only sunday hunting. I think this is all about selfishness and greed and no one is thinking of the deer population and overtime the pgc boys are going to be making its all about the money

There is a whole lot of people on PAFOA and lots of other places that think the deer herds have not been reduced by the PGC deer (mis) management policy in many parts of PA and despite evidence to the contrary the still full support the current deer reduction policy.

There are many reasons to change the current restrictions on the prohibition against Sunday hunting

This proposed change in HB 1760 is Only to allow the PGC the option to expand Sunday hunting other the few limited species currently that you can hunt on Sunday’s

IF you want to learn more about the current effort to remove the blue law against Sunday hunting & reason for and against you can read about it here.

Public hearing on Sunday hunting June 9, 6:30pm in western pa

http://forum.pafoa.org/hunting-23/13...estern-pa.html




If you want to watch some videos along with reading about the public evidence about the planed reduction in the Deer Mismanagement program, this is another subject.

Its available here
http://acslpa.org/
http://www.foac-pac.org/

In many parts of PA mostly the urban areas there are too many deer for a variety of reasons, still in many parts of rural PA including larger tracks on public land where you can walk a mile or more in any direction without crossing a paved road for that matter not to many deer tracks after a fresh snow, as the deer are far and few in between where they used to be in huntable numbers they are not after the Deer Mismanagement program has been in effect for the last 10 plus years.

There are several threads on PAFOA that this is hotly debated.

[soup]

I get one day off a week...yep, you guessed it, Sunday. When I take my children hunting, I have to take the day off from working. Sunday hunting would be perfect!

Be safe.

Scott

My buddy is really trying to get into hunting but like you, works pretty much every day of the week except Sundays. He's already said if they pass it he'll finally be able to go for deer (if they allow deer hunting on Sunday)

[bigborehnd]

I'm all for Sunday hunting, at least during the deer seasons. If the farmers want to post their land, so be it, it's their right. I'd just like the option to have that extra day during the week in case of bad weather on Saturdays, or if I need to work Saturday. Other states allow it on Sundays with no ill affects to game. If you aren't seeing deer where you are hunting, why will you shoot the only one you do see? Guys complain about deer numbers in some areas, but still keep shooting the few they see. The logic "If I don't then someone else will." I don't shoot pheasants anymore, even though they are all stocked nowadays. If I see one I let it go, it's more gratifying to see on flush and fly down a field than kill it. JMO

[thefirstndsecond]

I completely agree with the one day extra with regards to not being able to get off from work.

There are many reasons to allow Sunday hunting.

Work - time off restrictions, travel restrictions, shift restrictions

Family - availability of family members to participate, parental custody

Money generated in communities from hunters not having to go home 8AM after the one day on the weekend

Less crop damage - more time on weekend for farmers to allow people on leases to reduce herd size on private property (with permission)

Remember it doesn't necessarily mean more people in the woods, just one more day to be there.

The Game Commission could set what ever policy they get approval for - in other words it could be restricted to certain areas (zones), certain game, certain seasons, just private property or management areas. and I do not have a problem with that.

Sunday hunting doesn't give permission to hunt where you are not permitted.
It does not reduce your ability to attend religious services. If anything go to church then take your child to the woods to learn more.. about church.

There are many more good hunters than bad ones... show me the numbers versus license purchasers... not everyone is in deer prison.